The Forgetful Bride
by Katie Mae
Summary: Sakura and Syaoran get 'married' when they're little so Syaoran can see what's so great about a kiss. 15 years later he's back in Sakura's life and wants to get married for real. S&S and some E&T. Based on the book by Debbie Macomber. Finally updated!
1. Introduction

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Card Captor Sakura. I also don't really own the plot, as it's based off the book The Forgetful Bride by Debbie Macomber. I do own the idea, though, as well as anything that's not recognized from CCS.

A/N: This is just to judge whether or not people will be interested in reading this story. The Prologue will be coming up shortly. I am basing this off a book, but I'm going to try to do my own spin on it, and will not be copying from the book word-for-word. Some of the events may be the same, but details will be changed to fit the CCS universe.

Also, this is an AU with powers, though they don't come into play hardly at all. If this is popular with CCS fans, I have three other Debbie Macomber-based AU stories that I will be doing, and I'll make this a series. I hope everyone likes it! If not, please tell me why and I'll try to make it better!

_The Forgetful Bride_

_Introduction_

Three people were standing in an empty space. There were no walls, no floors, and everything was white. It looked like they were just floating in the empty place. From left to right, they were recognizable as Syaoran Li, Sakura Kinomoto, and Touya Kinomoto. They all had vaguely confused and frightened looks on their faces, and were looking about them anxiously.

Suddenly, a spooky, ethereal Voice spoke to them. "You're wondering what you're doing here, aren't you?" the Voice asked.

All three jumped at the Voice. Syaoran reached for his sword, expecting it to be there, but grasped only air. Sakura did the same with her Key, but it, too, was missing. Touya just closed his eyes and started muttering to himself under his breath.

Finally, Sakura got the courage to reply. "Where are we? What are we doing here? And who are you?"

The Voice replied, "I will answer your questions in order. Firstly, you're in a story that isn't a story--yet."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean, you're in a story that is being written as we speak. Everything we say is being typed by the Great Authoress."

"Who's the"-- Syaoran was cut off by the Voice.

"SILENCE! You may not ask any new questions until I have finished answering the others."

"But Sakura got to ask another question!"

"That's because she wanted clarification. Your question is not a clarifying one; therefore I cannot reply, so don't even bother asking. Now, as to the second question: You're here because you're all characters in The Great Authoress' new story. Well, Touya's only in the Prologue and the final chapter. He's here because The Great Authoress loves to torture him." At that, Touya stopped muttering and curled into a fetal position, rocking back and forth and sucking his thumb. The Voice laughed fiendishly.

"Why?" Syaoran asked, expecting the Voice to cut him off again.

"Because he is the only person, besides various OCs, who really doesn't like the idea of you and Sakura as a couple. Well, Meilin doesn't, either, but The Great Authoress ignoring her because in many stories she usually is over Syaoran. Plus, she will not even be included in this story."

Syaoran and Sakura looked at each other, then looked away as a blush crossed both of their faces.

"People think I like him/her?" Sakura and Syaoran said in unison.

"Yes. The Great Authoress is one of them."

"What about the third question?" Sakura asked, hoping to change the subject before she became any more embarrassed.

"Ah, yes. Who am I?"

Right before their eyes, a figure popped into existence. She had long blonde hair pulled back into a messy twist with a black hair clip, purple glasses, and braces. She was wearing a froofy, puffy black and red dress, identical to the one the dead girl wears in the music video for My Chemical Romance's song "Helena". She also had a black magic wand, topped with a big, black sequin star and black and red ribbons trailing from the part where the star met the stick. "I am The Great Authoress," she said in the same ethereal Voice. In a normal voice, she added with a smile, "But you can call me Katie Mae or Katie."

Sakura and Syaoran bowed with respect, but Touya flinched away from her. "It's a pleasure to meet, you, Katie Mae," Sakura said.

Katie smiled. "Now, you two have the proper respect for a person with such power as myself. I commend you. And just for that, I won't torture either of you. But I _will_ torture Touya." She pointed her star wand at Touya, and he was poofed into a chicken suit. Syaoran and Sakura laughed loudly as Touya started to flap his "wings" and cluck like a real chicken.

"It's just too bad that I need Touya for this story, otherwise, I'd keep him like this forever," Katie said with a sigh. "Now, to business. We need...a setting." She waved her wand around, and suddenly the empty space turned into the African savannah. "No, not that setting!" She waved it again, and it became downtown New York City. "Wrong! What is up with this stupid..." She tapped the star on her wand a few times, and tried again. Now the three (plus Touya in chicken mode) were standing in the backyard of Sakura's house in Tomoeda. "There we go! Much better."

"Hey, I'm home!" Sakura said happily.

"Well, yes and no. As you can see, we're the only people here. We need to add a few things. Like background." Katie waved her wand, and people appeared in the other houses and backyards. "Now, for the main characters. Syaoran, Sakura, please step forward."

"What're you going to do?" Syaoran asked suspiciously, eyeing Katie.

"Why, I'm getting you ready for the Prologue, of course! And there's nothing you can do about it. See, this thing here," she motioned to her wand, "is my Staff of Omnipotence. It means I can do whatever I want to whomever I want. Within copyright guidelines, of course. Watch!" Katie moved her wand, and Touya started dancing the tarantella in his chicken suit. "See? Absolute power."

Syaoran grumbled slightly, but approached Katie.

"Wait, before you do anything to us...what's this story about?" Sakura asked.

"Oh! I almost forgot! You and Syaoran play two people who knew each other in childhood, and played a game where you got 'married'. Then, fifteen years later, Syaoran comes back into your life, and he wants to marry you for real. The only problem with that is that you're in love with your boss, who in this story will be played by Eriol Hiiragizawa."

"WHAT? Sakura has to be in love with my stupid cousin?" Syaoran asked angrily.

"Yes! See, the story is based on Debbie Macomber's The Forgetful Bride. In that story, the main female character is in love with her boss, who later...well, you'll see. Anyway, she's not actually in love with him. She just thinks she is."

Syaoran and Sakura both breathed a sigh of relief. Then they looked at each other again, and blushed.

"Awww...and you two say you don't like each other." Before they could reply, she touched both of them on the head with her wand, and Sakura and Syaoran became eight and nine years old, respectively. Sakura was suddenly garbed in a starched pink dress, while Syaoran was wearing a green shirt and khaki shorts. However, for the time being, they still had their normal minds. "Now, stay here while I go change Touya for the Prologue."

Sakura and Syaoran did as they were told. Katie walked over to the panting, clucking Touya. With a wave of her wand, he stopped dancing, and the chicken suit disappeared. He also forgot about ever being tortured. Katie bopped him rather hard on the head with her wand, and he became his thirteen-year-old self. Katie pushed him over to where Sakura and Syaoran were waiting.

"Now, I want you to listen very carefully. This is how it works: Touya and Syaoran are best friends. Forget the fact that Touya's four years older than Syaoran, it doesn't matter. Syaoran, you're here because your family is living in Tomoeda while your father finishes up some major business deals. You've been here for about a year, but soon you'll be returning to Hong Kong. You two love teasing Sakura, who loves teasing you right back. Understand?"

"Got it!" All three kids reply.

"Good. Now..." She waved her wand, and everything froze. Another wave over the three of them, and they forgot everything not pertaining to the story. "We begin!" A final wave, and Katie disappeared as time started again.


	2. Prologue

A/N: Well, if you're reading this, it means I didn't scare you away with the introduction! That's a good thing...I think...

Anyway, this is the prologue, in which Kid!Sakura and Syaoran get married! Well, not really. But they pretend to! And there'll be a little fluff, but how much can you expect from little kids? I'll tell you: not much!

_The Forgetful Bride_

_Prologue_

"Hey, kaijuu! Come over here!" Thirteen-year-old Touya Kinomoto called across the backyard. He and his best friend, Syaoran Li, were standing outside the fort that the two boys had built the previous summer, when Syaoran and his family had first moved in next door.

"My name's not 'kaijuu', it's Sakura!" Touya's eight-year-old sister replied angrily. She ran over to them and promptly stomped as hard as she could on Touya's sandal-clad foot, the heel of her Mary Jane shoe digging into his toes. He yelped, as tears came to his eyes from the pain. She was about to return to the tea party she was having with her dolls when Touya grabbed her by the arm.

"Hey, wait! Syaoran wants to ask you something."

"Well then, ask me!" Sakura said, turning toward the nine-year-old boy. His amber eyes met Sakura's emerald, and he blushed, saying, "Well, my cousin Eriol called the other day, and he was telling me about this girl at school, in Hong Kong, and about how she had a boy-girl birthday party, and..."

"Get to the point, Syaoran-kun!" Sakura interrupted, her voice clearly showing her exasperation.

"Oh...right. Well, he got to kiss this girl, and he was talking about how great it was."

"...So?" Sakura said, one eyebrow raised. She'd always been mature for her age, partly because her mother had died when she was very young and her father was always busy with his job as a college professor.

"Well...I wanted to know if he was right."

"And what does that have to do with me?"

"Well, you're the only girl I know, besides my older sisters." Syaoran's face grew even more red. "And I don't want to kiss them unless I absolutely have to."

"Well, I'm not going to kiss anyone unless I'm married," Sakura replied matter-of-factly.

"What? What does being married have to do with anything?" Touya asked before Syaoran could reply.

"I've never seen anyone kiss that hasn't been married, so I'm not gonna do it either."

"I'll give you my dessert tonight if you do this," Touya tried to bargain.

"Not without being married!"

Syaoran placed his hand on Touya's shoulder. "Well...I guess, if she wants to, it's okay with me," the Chinese boy told his best friend.

Touya turned to Syaoran, a look of surprise on his face. "You serious?" Syaoran nodded. "Well, all right...let's get you two married then!"

"Not out here! It's too dirty out here for a wedding! Let's go in the fort," Sakura suggested.

"No way!" Syaoran replied.

"It's a boys only fort!" Touya explained. "No girls allowed!"

"Well, I'm not getting married out here," Sakura said calmly. "So unless you want to kiss one of your sisters..."

Syaoran and Touya sighed and shared a look. "All right, fine," Touya muttered. "Let me get my Bible." He ran into the house and a moment later appeared with a small, beat-up Bible. "But you can't tell _anyone_ that you went in the fort."

_Aww, and I was gonna tell Rika Takenouchi! Then she definitely would have invited me to her birthday party,_ Sakura thought to herself. Rika was the most popular girl in school, and Sakura desperately wanted to go to her birthday party, which was easily the social event of the year for the girls in Sakura's grade.

The three went into the fort, Sakura picking dandelions that were growing in the yard as she walked to make a bouquet. When she went inside, she saw that everything was made of wood and boxes. _Man, I thought it was a palace in here or something, from the way they talked about it,_ she thought. Shrugging slightly, she took slow steps, like she'd seen her Aunt Hino do at her wedding. When she arrived next to Syaoran, Touya muttered, "Finally..."

He opened the Bible to a random page and said, "Do you, Syaoran Li, take Sakura Kinomoto to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Syaoran answered seriously, his mouth straight.

"Do you, Sakura Kinomoto, take Syaoran Li to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

_I already agreed to this, there's no turning back now..._ "...I do," Sakura replied after a moment.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the kaijuu," Touya announced with a grin, closing the Bible.

Sakura and Syaoran turned toward each other, their eyes meeting. For a fleeting moment, Sakura felt a spark of something unknown alight in her belly and creep throughout her entire body. Then, very slowly, Syaoran leaned in. Sakura closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly to the left, like her Aunt Hino did when Uncle Tai was about to kiss her. A moment later, Syaoran's lips touched hers, brushing against them softly for about three seconds. He pulled away, and Sakura's eyes fluttered open.

"Well, that's wasn't anything special," she said flippantly. "What was your cousin thinking?"

"I don't think you did it right," Syaoran replied.

"Me? I think you're the one who messed up, Syaoran Li," Sakura rebutted. She turned to walk out of the fort. "Whatever, I'm getting out of this stupid box." Before she did, though, she stomped on Touya's foot for calling her 'monster' again.

As Sakura walked back out into the backyard, she realized something. _They never told me I couldn't tell anyone about the kiss! Maybe I will still get an invitation to Rika's party._ Warmed by this realization, she happily skipped back to her tea party.

Back inside the fort, Touya had walked over to stand next to Syaoran, and was currently nudging him in the ribs. "So, seriously, how was it?"

"It was kinda weird..." Syaoran admitted. "My stomachfelt kinda funny afterwards, like it was floating or something."

"Eww, maybe Sakura has cooties!" Touya exclaimed. "Maybe you're sick now. We should take you to the doctor for a cootie shot. I should probably get one, too, if I'm gonna hang around you."

"Shut up! It's not cooties. Even _I_ know they don't exist," Syaoran muttered. He stalked out of the fort as Touya followed, continuing to tease him.

A/N: Well, there's the prologue! Next chapter will take place fifteen years later, and will introduce Adult!Sakura and Syaoran, as well as Sakura's life away from Tomoeda.

And one more thing: If anyone is/was offended by the fact that Touya got a Bible, I'm sorry. I'm a Christian and I don't know how people in other religions perform weddings, so I'm going to stick with this. Plus, in the book, the character being played by Touya in this version becomes a Methodist minister later in life, which means that Touya will become a minister as well. This won't be a particularly religious story, but there will be references to God and church, so if you are easily offended by this, then I suggest that you don't read my story. I will get extremely angry if I get any flames on later chapters for this reason, especially since I'm warning everyone now.


	3. Chapter One

A/N: Wow! Fourteen reviews? I feel so loved! If this becomes really popular, I may start imposing a review requirement for each new chapter. As it is, I'm typing these up really quickly (probably because I'm so inspired!) Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

_The Forgetful Bride_

_Chapter One_

_Fifteen years later..._

"Rrrrriiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnngggggggggggg"—

"Shut up!" Sakura moaned, picking up her alarm clock and throwing it against the wall. It smashed into tiny pieces as the twenty-three-year-old groaned and rolled out of bed. She slowly walked into the bathroom of her tiny, one bedroom apartment, hoping that a nice, hot shower would help her wake up.

Half an hour later, Sakura stepped out of the bathroom, her shower completed and her hair dried, thanks to the Windy card. She liked to use the Sakura cards now and again, just so that they knew she still cared about them and was glad to have them.

As she came out of the bathroom to get ready for work, Kero awakened and floated up out of his customary drawer/bed. "Morning, Sakura!" he said brightly, zooming over to play video games.

"Morning, Kero," Sakura replied, in a much better mood after her shower. She got dressed in a pink shirt and a jean skirt.

"So, how's Hiiragizawa-sama doing?" Kero asked slyly.

At the mention of her boss, Sakura blushed. "Eriol-kun is fine," she answered in a steady voice, slipping on white ankle socks. "Now, you know the drill—stay away from the windows, and don't make too much noise. I don't want the neighbors calling again."

"Yeah, yeah," the yellow, winged bear-like Guardian replied. "You're gonna go to the store after work, right?"

"I was planning to, why?"

"We're out of pudding."

A sweat drop appeared on Sakura's forehead. "I just bought pudding three days ago!"

"I know, but we're out again. It's like it evaporates into thin air or something!"

"Yeah, more like into your stomach," Sakura replied, poking Kero's tummy. "I have to get to work now, so I'll see you when I get back!" She put on her shoes and walked out to her car, actually on time for once.

Sakura drove down the streets of Hong Kong, on her way to work. She worked in a clothing store owned by Eriol Hiiragizawa, along with her best friend Tomoyo Daidouji. But Sakura and Tomoyo were more than just best friends; Tomoyo was also from Japan, and was Sakura's cousin.

Tomoyo had moved to Japan before Sakura, though, hoping to get started in a career as a fashion designer. When she'd met Eriol, he asked her to design clothing to sell at his store, and she immediately accepted. Later, when Sakura moved to the city, Tomoyo had convinced Eriol to hire on Sakura, as well. Now Sakura sold the clothes, while Tomoyo designed and made them and Eriol was the manager, in charge of the financing and marketing.

Sakura pulled into her usual parking spot and walked through the employee entrance to Daidouji Fashions, as Eriol had named the store. She never questioned the name; she knew that Tomoyo deserved to have the store named after her amazing clothing.

"Hey Sakura! You're just in time!" Tomoyo said as she walked into the break room.

"Another new outfit for me to try on?" Sakura asked with a smile.

"You know me too well," Tomoyo replied, returning Sakura's smile.

"Lay it on me, babe!"

A few minutes later, Sakura was wearing a beautiful, sleeveless, red silk dress. It hugged her curves perfectly, and had a thigh-length flared skirt that flew up as Sakura spun around. It had a wide, gold sequin ribbon that went around the waist, and the neckline was playful, yet modest.

"Tomoyo, you've outdone yourself yet again!" Sakura said after she'd changed back into her regular clothes, hugging Tomoyo tightly. "I love it!"

"That's great!" Tomoyo replied. "Because I want you to keep it."

"What? Are you serious?" Sakura fingered the smooth silk. "Do you know how much some of our customers would pay for this dress?"

"I know. But I want you to have it. You can wear it to Eriol-kun's Christmas party."

Sakura smiled; it would be just the thing to get Eriol to notice her. "Thank you so much! I'll definitely wear it!"

The two girls hugged again, and Sakura took the dress out to her car, making sure that it was out of sight so no one would steal it. When she returned, Eriol was already there.

"Ohayo, Eriol-kun!" Sakura said brightly, giving him a winning smile.

"Ohayo, Sakura-san," Eriol replied absently, looking down at a folder of papers in his hand.

Sakura looked around uncomfortably, unsure of what to say next. Tomoyo popped up behind Eriol and put her hands above her head, making a tree-like shape. She mouthed the words 'Christmas party' to Sakura, who caught on a moment later.

"So...your Christmas party is coming up soon, isn't it?" Sakura asked Eriol.

"Hmm? Oh, yes...listen, Sakura-san, I've got these quarterly reports to look over, so do you think you could go and open the shop?"

"Oh, sure..." Sakura said, trying to hide her disappointment with her lack of conversational skills. She walked into the front part of the building, which was the shop proper, and got ready for the business day. She swept the floors, dusted the counters, opened the blinds, checked the cash register, and finally unlocked the door, flipping the sign from 'Closed' to 'Open'.

About fifteen minutes later, the first customers began to arrive. Many were looking at Tomoyo's spring collection, and Sakura was taking many orders for the various dresses and outfits. However, other women were looking at the Christmas dresses that Tomoyo had made, which were currently on sale. With Christmas only a week away, they were searching for the perfect party dress.

(A/N: Sorry to interrupt, but I want to clarify one thing. When I say that Sakura is taking orders, it means that she's writing down what the women want, and in what sizes. Basically Tomoyo makes one or two of an original outfit, which is put on display in the store, and then women will give Sakura her measurements, so that they can get the outfit in the proper size. Tomoyo's not the only one who fills these orders, though; there are also other people who work for Eriol by making the outfits for the people. It's just that Tomoyo's the only designer.)

Around lunchtime, the shop had slowed down quite a bit, so Sakura was taking the opportunity to catch her breath. Suddenly, the bell on the door rang, indicating that someone had walked into the shop. She looked up, expecting to see another customer. Instead, her emerald eyes caught sight of a man entering the store, looking around expectantly. Much to Sakura's surprise, he was rather young, and even more surprising, he wasn't married--or, at least, there was no ring on his left hand. Most of the men that came to Daidouji Fashions were husbands looking for a gift for their wives.

"Konnichiwa. May I help you?" Sakura asked the young man, walking out from behind the counter.

"Perhaps...I'm looking for the owner, Eriol Hiiragizawa," the young man said. His eyes met Sakura's as he spoke--warm amber connected with bright emerald. Sakura thought he looked familiar, but couldn't place him. His eyes flicked down to Sakura's nametag. "Do you know where he is...Sakura?" he asked with a wink.

Sakura's eyes widened at his audacity. How dare he use her first name, and without an honorific? She didn't even know him! However, she played it cool, and said, "That depends on who's looking for him."

Before the man could reply, Eriol walked out of the back room. "Oh, Syaoran, you're here!" he said happily.

_Syaoran? Why does that name sound so...oh, God, not him!_ Sakura thought frantically. Suddenly blushing, she turned to Eriol. "Syaoran?" she asked.

"Yes, Syaoran Li. My cousin." Eriol looked at Sakura with concern. "Sakura-san, are you feeling well? You look feverish."

"I-I'm fine, Eriol-kun, really," Sakura replied. "I'm just a little surprised to see Li-san."

"Oh, Sakura, why are you being so formal? After all, we're married," Syaoran told her, giving her another wink that Eriol couldn't see.

"No, no, we're not married," Sakura assured Eriol.

"Have you forgotten our wedding day already?" Syaoran asked, laughing. "I think you may have amnesia, Sakura." He slipped his arm around Sakura's shoulders.

"I do not have amnesia," Sakura insisted. "We're not married, really. Li-san, here, is obviously stuck in his own, deluded little world." She tried to remove Syaoran's arm, but his grip was too strong.

Eriol looked back and forth between the two, confusion clearly written on his face. "Err... I didn't even realize you two knew each other," he said lamely.

"Oh, yes. Eriol, remember when I moved to Tomoeda, Japan for a year, back when we were kids? I met Sakura then. It was love at first sight..." Syaoran smiled down at Sakura, who was several inches shorter than him.

"We were just kids! You were nine years old; you probably thought I had cooties," Sakura spat.

"Now, now, love, that's no way to talk to your husband."

"WE'RE NOT MARRIED!" Sakura cried loudly. Tomoyo stuck her head out of the back room, watching the whole thing with interest. Sakura's face grew beet red with embarrassment, and the broke away from Syaoran's grip, running toward the back entrance with tears running down her face.

Tomoyo came fully out of the workroom and approached Syaoran and Eriol. "Listen, buster," she said, poking Syaoran hard in the chest. "I don't know who you think you are, but if you think you can embarrass my best friend like that, you're wrong." She turned on Eriol. "And you! You just stood there and let this guy hurt Sakura! How could you do that? You know how she feels about you! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go help my friend." She stomped away from the two men, following Sakura's path.

"Well..." Eriol said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What did that girl mean?" Syaoran asked Eriol.

"Hmm?"

"What did that girl mean when she said 'you know how she feels about you'?"

"Oh, that...well, I've noticed lately that Sakura-san appears to have...romantic feelings concerning me."

"And?"

"And what?"

"How do you feel about her?"

"Honestly, I have no other feeling for her outside of a professional standpoint. Yes, we're friends, but there's someone else that I have romantic feelings for."

"And who would that be?"

"The violet whirlwind that just passed by. Though she has no idea..."

"Well, have you told Sakura how you feel?" Syaoran asked Eriol loudly.

"Not in so many words, but I have made it perfectly clear that I hold no romantic interests for her."

"Well, obviously it hasn't worked, Hiiragizawa. She must still think she has a chance, judging by the way she so strongly denied my teasing." Syaoran walked toward the door.

"Wait! I thought we were going to go to lunch, celebrate your return to Hong Kong?" Eriol asked.

"I've lost my appetite," Syaoran replied with disgust.

A/N: Well, how did everyone like it? Like I told you, this is different from the actual book, but I highly recommend the real version to anyone who likes Romance or Christmas. Please review and let me know what you think of the story so far!

Also, I've gotten an idea for a new story, and I'd like everyone to tell me if they'd read it. I'll give you the synopsis:

_The Wolf and the Flower_  
_When the cold-hearted leader of the Li Clan, Syaoran, angers the powerful sorceress Meilin, she places a terrible curse on him. A week later, Sakura, a young herbalist with untapped magical power, finds a half-dead wolf with startling amber eyes. Can she heal his wounds, warm his heart, and find a way to lift the curse?_

It's loosely based on "The Beauty and the Beast" but with a CCS twist. If anyone would read this story, please, please tell me!


	4. Chapter Two

A/N: I want to explain a few friendships before I continue the story.

Tomoyo and Sakura met when they were ten, two years after Syaoran left. When they were twelve, Sakura accidentally released the Clow cards and Kero. Later that year, Syaoran came back to Tomoeda and tried to steal the cards, most of which Sakura had already captured and turned into Sakura cards. He managed to get a few loose cards, but just before he left to return to China, he gave them to Sakura. (Oh, and Sakura never admitted her feelings for Syaoran, so that part of the second movie never happened.)

On the first day that Sakura started working for Eriol, he approached her and asked her about the cards and Kero. He told her that he was the reincarnation of Clow Reed, and that he could sense her magic and feel the power of the cards coming from her. That's one of the reasons why she likes him, or at least thinks she does.

I hope that clears up some things for everyone. There's plenty of fluff in this chapter, with some of both varieties! I hope you enjoy it!

_The Forgetful Bride_

_Chapter Two_

"Hey, Sakura," Tomoyo said softly, coming up behind the crying woman. "Hey, it's okay. I don't think Eriol-kun really believed that guy."

Sakura sniffled. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I already took care of both of them, so they shouldn't bother you any more. Why don't you wash your face, and then we'll take it from there?"

"All right," Sakura replied, blowing her nose on a tissue. She and Tomoyo went into the ladies room, and she washed her face with warm water to clean up the streaks left behind by her tears.

"There, now, don't you feel better?"

"Yeah, actually. Thanks for being such a good friend, Tomoyo."

"No problem!" Tomoyo smiled, and Sakura's spirits lifted slightly. The two women returned to the shop, and were glad to see that Syaoran had left. "So, Eriol-kun..." Tomoyo said menacingly. "Do you have anything you'd like to say to Sakura?"

"Erm...I suppose I should apologize for not stopping Syaoran," Eriol conceded. "I saw that you were embarrassed, but I didn't do anything about it."

"It's forgotten," Sakura replied, flashing Eriol a smile. "But what was he doing here, anyway?"

"Well, he and I were going to go to lunch, since he's back from Beijing. He has been there for the past few months on business, now that he's the leader of the Li clan."

"Wow, so he actually became the leader? When we were kids, he used to complain about it so much. He said he never wanted to be the head of the Li clan. But when he came back to Tomoeda to steal the Sakura cards from me, he was completely changed, and was focused on proving himself worthy of the title." Sakura felt comfortable discussing the Sakura cards with them, but talking about her history with Syaoran was a little unnerving, especially since she loved Eriol, and he was Syaoran's 'cousin'.

"Yes, and he certainly has proven himself. After he returned to China without the cards, his mother and the Elders made him prove his worthiness by defeating every other male Li in the clan in hand-to-hand combat without taking a break. Syaoran had to take part in seventeen straight fights."

"Oh, wow," Tomoyo said, impressed. "And he was able to?"

"Well, he must have," Sakura replied. "Otherwise he wouldn't be the leader, right?" she asked, turning to Eriol.

"It took him many trials, but eventually he was able to finish the task. Syaoran became the leader when he was eighteen, right after his father died," Eriol told them.

Sakura bowed her head at the news of Mr. Li's death. She remembered him as a cold, yet devoted husband and father. "And what of Syaoran's sisters?"

"They're all happily married and have started families of their own," Eriol told her.

Sakura smiled. "That's great. I remember how boy-crazy they used to be, back when we were little."

Eriol looked down at his watch. "Listen, Sakura-san, Tomoyo-san, why don't you two just head on home? It's been a busy day for all of us. I'll close up early, all right?"

"I think that's the first good idea I've heard all day," Tomoyo replied. Sakura nodded her agreement and turned around, heading for the back door.

Before Tomoyo could follow, however, Eriol placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hang on, Tomoyo-san. I...I need to speak with you about something."

"What is it?" Tomoyo asked, noticing that Sakura was out of earshot by now.

"Ai..." Eriol took a deep breath. _You're Clow Reed! This shouldn't be so difficult!_ he berated himself. "Ai... Aishiteru, Tomoyo-san," he finished in a rush.

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "What?"

"Aishiteru, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo gaped for a moment, but quickly recovered. "Oh, no... No, this isn't right! You shouldn't love me! You should love Sakura!"

"Why? I don't have feelings for her, I love you!"

"But I can't betray Sakura's trust like that! I've never told her that I love you, too..." Tomoyo gasped and covered her mouth with her hand as she realized what she had just let slip.

Eriol took both of her hands in his. "You do love me?"

"H-hai," she replied weakly.

Eriol got down on one knee, still holding Tomoyo's hands. "Then will you please marry me?"

Tomoyo's eyes filled with tears. "I can't..."

"What?"

"I can't marry you...not until you clear things up with Sakura. It's just not right for you to leave her in the dark like this."

Eriol sighed, and nodded. "All right. I'll talk to her as soon as I can."

"Thank you." Tomoyo pulled Eriol into a standing position, and they shared a gentle, loving kiss.

* * *

Later that evening, Sakura was in the kitchen, trying to put out a small grease fire. She'd tried to make fried dumplings, but her cooking skills hadn't improved with her switch to independent living. 

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. With one final spray of the fire extinguisher, Sakura hurried over and looked through the peephole. To her surprise, Syaoran stood outside, holding a box of what looked like take-out.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked impatiently, opening the door a crack.

"Trying to work out a peace treaty?" Syaoran offered. "I brought sushi."

Sakura eyed him warily. _I should just shut the door right in his face,_ she thought to herself. "Is there shrimp?" She hadn't had shrimp sushi since she'd left Tomoeda five years ago.

"Of course. I still remember your favorites from when we were kids."

"All right, you can come in," Sakura allowed grudgingly. She opened the door fully and walked back into the kitchen, making sure the fire hadn't restarted.

"A little kitchen trouble?" Syaoran asked, seeing all of the mess that the fire extinguisher had left behind.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Sakura assured him. "I assume you're here to apologize for earlier?"

"Actually, no. I'm here to find out what exactly it is you see in my cousin."

"What's not to see? He's smart, he's good-looking, not to mention he already knows about my magic, Kero, and the Sakura cards. That's a great weight off my mind." Sakura deftly handled her chopsticks, taking a dainty bite out of a piece of sushi.

"Well, you know, there are other guys who would be comfortable with your magic," Syaoran pointed out.

"Oh, yeah? Name one."

Syaoran stared at her pointedly, but Sakura was still dense as ever. "What are you staring at me for?" she asked, staring right back at him with her eyes narrowed and her lips pouted.

Quicker than she could blink, Syaoran was on his feet and had pulled her into a standing position, as well. His arm snaked around her waist. "Sakura..." he breathed softly.

Suddenly, the light bulb went off in Sakura's head. "Oh...you were talking about yourself, weren't you?"

Syaoran nodded absently. Then he reached up with his free hand to brush a lock of hair off of Sakura's face, tucking it behind her ear before pulling her into a deep, passionate kiss. Sakura's eyes widened, but almost instantly she felt her body reacting to the kiss and the dizzying closeness of his body to hers, and they slowly closed. She let out an involuntary groan, and her lips parted slightly, allowing Syaoran to slip his tongue into her mouth and do a little exploring.

_This isn't right,_ a small voice in the back of Sakura's mind said. _You love Eriol-kun, remember?_

This thought was enough to snap Sakura out of her trance, and she roughly pushed Syaoran away. Her whole body was trembling from the kiss, and she immediately missed the warmth that radiated from his form. "Syaoran..." she said hoarsely.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," he replied quickly. "I didn't mean for that to happen. You're just so...so..." He couldn't think clearly enough to finish. He turned toward the door. "I'll see you later, Em," he said.

"Wait...Em?" Sakura asked before he could leave.

"Em is short for Emerald. In some lights, your eyes sparkle like emeralds," Syaoran replied without turning around. In that moment, Sakura could read his aura clearly, and sherealized that if he turned around, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to leave. When she didn't say anything, Syaoran walked out the door and out to his car. Only then did Sakura sit down heavily on the couch, wondering what had just happened.

A/N: I was thinking of adding more, but this just seemed like the perfect place to stop. I really hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I think I'll start on _The Wolf and the Flower_ soon, since I've gotten mainly positive feedback on it.

A small note: In the book The Forgetful Bride, Joe (the character being played by Syaoran) calls Cait (the character being played by Sakura) "bright eyes". That's why Syaoran has the eye color-related nickname for Sakura there at the end.

I have a question for everyone out there reading my story: What are Syaoran's sister's names, and how old are they compared to him? I don't need exact ages; I just need to know birth order. It's very important, as I need to know so that I can "create" nieces and nephews for Syaoran.

Oh, and I am not going to post the next chapter until I've reached at least 40 reviews. I don't think that's too much to ask, since I've already got 24 reviews as of right now. So if you want to see what happens next, make sure to leave me a review!


	5. Chapter Three

A/N: Well, folks, here's chapter three! I decided to be nice and post the chapter early. But I'm surprised that I haven't reached 40 reviews yet; was that too much to ask? Anyway, I still need that information on Syaoran's sisters! I need to know their names, and the birth order.

_The Forgetful Bride_

_Chapter Three_

The next day, Sakura was still feeling confused when she got to work. Two emotions battled inside her: her love for Eriol, and this new, unfamiliar feeling she was having concerning Syaoran. She was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice Tomoyo's strange mood.

"Hey, Sakura, has Eriol-kun talked to you lately?" Tomoyo asked as soon as she saw Sakura.

"Hmm?" Sakura looked up at Tomoyo. "I'm sorry, I missed that."

Tomoyo bounced around a bit, like she was anxious or nervous about something. "Have you spoken with Eriol-kun lately?" Tomoyo repeated.

"No, not since I left yesterday. Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Tomoyo assured Sakura. "I was just curious. He told me that he had something important do discuss with you, but I guess it wasn't that important."

Sakura shrugged. "I guess not."

"So, what did you do yesterday after you got home?"

"Actually, Li-san came over."

"What? What happened?"

"He brought sushi, but instead of apologizing for yesterday, he said he wanted to know why I like Eriol-kun so much."

"What did you tell him?"

"Everything you already know. He's smart, he's handsome, and he already knows about my magic."

"And how did he reply to that?" Sakura blushed and muttered something intelligible. "What?"

"He kissed me..." Sakura said, rubbing the back of her neck.

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

Sakura nodded, her face completely red. "And the worst part is...I kinda liked it."

Tomoyo gasped. "You did? But what about Eriol-kun?"

"I know! Right in the middle of the kiss, that thought crossed my mind, so I pushed him away; and he looked so...so..."

What?" Tomoyo pressed Sakura.

"I don't know! Hurt, maybe, or surprised. But...right before he left, he called me Em."

"Em?"

"He said it's short for Emerald, since apparently, in some lights, my eyes 'sparkle like emeralds'." she put the last three words in finger quotes.

Tomoyo, ever the romantic, couldn't help but squeal. "Aww, Sakura, I think he likes you!"

"Oh, really?" Sakura replied sarcastically. "I hadn't noticed." She walked over to the wall and started smacking her head against it. "Why does _(thud) _this have to _(thud)_ happen to _(thud)_ meeee?" she half-sobbed.

"Sakura-san?" Eriol said suddenly, poking his head into the room where the girls were talking.

"Hoe?" Sakura squeaked, straightening suddenly with surprise at Eriol's voice.

"Can I speak with you in my office?"

"Hai, Eriol-kun," Sakura said quickly. As she left the room, she looked back at Tomoyo, who gave her a gesture of encouragement.

Sakura entered Eriol's office, noticing that the office was just like its inhabitant--decorated in shades of blue, it was neat and organized. "Hai, Eriol-kun? Is something the matter?"

"Please, sit down, Sakura-san," Eriol said, gesturing to a chair. Sakura sat. "Sakura-san, I've been noticing that you have a certain...affection for me."

Sakura gulped nervously. "Ano...h-hai, Eriol-kun. I...I do like you."

Eriol nodded and leaned back in his chair. "I hope this won't affect our friendship, or the quality of your work, but...I'm afraid I don't feel the same."

"You don't?" Sakura asked softly.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-san. I don't."

"I...see."

Eriol sighed softly. "Please, feel free to take the rest of the day off, if you like. I feel bad having to tell you this first thing in the morning, but I needed to make sure there was no confusion."

"Oh, of course," Sakura replied. She was battling to hold back the tears. "I'll stay, though; I can handle this." She spoke as though she was trying to reassure herself, instead of Eriol.

"Are you sure?"

"Hai, Eriol-kun. I'm sure." Sakura stood, have a shallow bow, and left the office. As soon as she was back with Tomoyo, she let the tears flow.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Tomoyo asked. Through the tears, Tomoyo pieced together Sakura's explanation, and was able to figure out that Eriol had just broken the news to her. Tomoyo narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to go have a _talk_ with Hiiragizawa-kun," she said, reverting back to the more formal version of his name.

"No, Tomoyo! Don't!" But the violet-haired girl had already left. Sakura chased after her, stopping in front of Eriol's closed office door. She could hear Tomoyo yelling inside.

"Why did you have to tell her now?" Tomoyo was asking Eriol. "I can't believe you would be so heartless!"

"I'm sorry, Tomoyo-chan!" Eriol replied. "I thought this would be the best way. Don't you think that telling her over dinner would be leading her on?"

"Not if you made it clear that it was a business dinner! I can't believe that I even agreed to marry you!"

Sakura gasped loudly, and the building became eerily silent. A moment later, Eriol opened the door, seeing Sakura standing there, again on the verge of tears. "Sakura-san..." he said softly.

"You...you asked Tomoyo to marry you?" Sakura choked out. Not waiting for an explanation, she bolted for the door. She got out to her car, but her hands were shaking too badly to put the key into the door to unlock it. She leaned against the cool metal, letting the tears roll freely down her face.

Tomoyo came running out after her. "Sakura, I'm so sorry...you have no clue how bad I feel right now."

"It can't be as bad as how I'm feeling," Sakura muttered, not looking at Tomoyo.

"Listen, Sakura. I'll understand completely if you hate me forever, but I just want you to know that I told Eriol I couldn't marry him until he told you the truth."

"So..." Sakura sniffled. "So all this time, you've been trying to help me catch his attention, but you've liked him too?"

"Yes."

"Why did you help me, then?"

"Because you liked him first, and because I thought you had a better chance than I did."

Sakura lifted her head from the top of her car and looked at Tomoyo. "You thought you didn't have a chance with him? But, Tomoyo, look at you! Any guy would be crazy not to fall for you!"

"I could say the same for you!" Tomoyo replied, tears forming in her eyes, as well. "You're gorgeous, Sakura, but it's like you don't know it."

Sakura looked down at herself. "I'm not gorgeous, Tomoyo; I'm a wreck."

"You're not looking at yourself properly, then. Come on, I'll drive you home, and I'll show you just how beautiful you can be." Tomoyo gently pried Sakura's keys from her hand and unlocked the doors. "Maybe we can call Li-san over and ask him for his opinion."

"Why Syaoran?" Sakura asked, wiping her eyes.

"Because he's the only objective eye we have," Tomoyo replied simply. "Besides, you need a date for Eriol-kun's party tomorrow night, right?"

"I'm not going."

"Of course you are! I need you to be there!"

"Why?"

"Because his parents are coming." Tomoyo cringed. "He told me this morning."

Sakura sighed. "Well...all right, I'll come."

"Thank you!" Tomoyo squealed, hugging her best friend. Then she started the car and drove toward Sakura's apartment.

A/N: That's it for chapter three! I'm sorry it was so short and boring; it's mainly just a filler chapter. There will definitely be some more S/S and E/T fluff next chapter, I promise! And Sakura's not actually going to meet Eriol's parents, because it'll be easier for me to avoid creating OCs.

To make it easier on you all, I'm going to say that I need ten reviews on this chapter before I'll update, so 48 total. That shouldn't be too hard, right? Just remember that I won't put up the new chapter as soon as I get 10, but I'll try to do it as soon as I can after I get the tenth review. So remember to review if you want me to continue the story!


	6. Chapter Four

A/N: Yay! I'm not dead! I'm sorry for making you all wait sooo long for this chapter; I lost inspiration for this story and didn't find it again until I started college recently. I hope you can all forgive me, and I'll try to make it up to you by making the next few chapters extra fluffy!

_The Forgetful Bride_

_Chapter Four_

"What am I doing here again?" Syaoran asked lazily, sitting on Sakura's couch. It was 5:55, just about half an hour until Syaoran would accompany Sakura and Tomoyo to Eriol's home for his annual Christmas party.

"Tomoyo wants you to take Sakura to Eriol's Christmas party, since she'll be Eriol's date, and she doesn't want to see Sakura moping around by herself," Kero said quickly, not even pausing for breath. "And you agreed because you love Sakura and you want to woo her, thereby making her fall in love with you too."

"Oh, yeah."

---

Since Christmas was such a family-oriented holiday, only a few close friends would be At Eriol's party, along with most of the Li clan. Sakura was looking forward to seeing Yelan, Fuutie, Sheifa, Fanren, and Feimei again.

"Sakura, stop fidgeting!" Tomoyo said, gently smacking her best friend on the shoulder. Tomoyo was doing Sakura's hair, trying her best to wrangle the unruly locks into a hairstyle that would hold for more than a few minutes. She had already used at least twenty bobby pins. "Do you want me to stab your scalp?"

"No," Sakura replied, falling still. She tried to breathe deeply to calm herself, but it wasn't working well.

"Listen, Sakura, whatever happens tonight, I just want to let you know that you come first in my life. We were friends long before either of us met Eriol-kun, and your friendship is more important to me than almost anything in the world." Tomoyo said this very matter-of-factly, as if she were talking about something no more important than the weather forecast.

Sakura appreciated Tomoyo's flippant attitude; it told her that the other girl was not worried that the situation would change any time soon. "Thanks, Tomoyo," she said.

Tomoyo nodded in reply. A dozen more bobby pins later, Tomoyo had succeeded in pulling most of Sakura's hair up into a sleek French twist. Her bangs still hung free, framing her face perfectly and drawing attention to Sakura's eyes. A final spritz of hairspray, and Tomoyo was finished. "Now, for your dress."

Sakura walked over to her closet and pulled out the bag containing the red dress. She pulled the material out and slipped it over her head, feeling the silk brush against her smooth legs. She was glad she had gotten her legs waxed earlier in the week, because her legs were completely hairless, but no longer red and blotchy from the waxing. She also put on her gold metallic pumps, which she had bought on her way home from work the day before.

"You look beautiful, if I do say so myself," Tomoyo told Sakura. "Now, come back over here, and I'll give you the finishing touch." She reached into her purse and pulled out a small box. "Open it!"

Sakura flipped open the lid and gasped when she saw a beautiful necklace. It was a delicate cherry blossom made of rose quartz, emerald and diamond, set in gold and hanging from a gold chain. "Tomoyo…this is too much!"

"Hey, it's just a loan from my mother's jewelry store," Tomoyo said. "When I told her about this party, and the dress I made for you, she insisted that you borrow it for the night. But if anything happens to it, she'll kill me, and you'll also have to pay for the necklace."

"How much is it worth?"

"Roughly five hundred dollars."

Sakura's face paled. "Tomoyo, I can't wear this! You know how clumsy I am; I'll probably break it!"

"Sakura, the only way you could break it would be if Syaoran-san rips it from your neck in the middle of passionate sex." Sakura's face went from being white to extremely red. "And I highly doubt that he'd rip it from your neck. More than likely, he'd be all gentlemanly and take it off of your neck as foreplay."

"Tomoyo!" Sakura said quickly. "He's right outside!"

"So? It's not like you're kids anymore," Tomoyo reasoned. "Besides, a guy like him has probably had sex with at least twenty women. Maybe more like fifty."

For some reason, the idea of Syaoran being intimate with other women did not sit well with Sakura. "I didn't need to have that picture in my head," she said with disgust.

"So you _do_ like him?"

"No! It's just gross to think of him having sex. The last memory I have of him is as a little kid, remember?"

"Hmm…good point. Anyway, my mother would be offended if you didn't wear it, so I suggest you just put it on."

Sakura sighed and nodded, taking the necklace out of the box. She fumbled with the clasp, but couldn't get it to work. "A little help here?"

Tomoyo also tried to work the clasp, but her fingers kept slipping from the tiny handle. After a few tries, she walked over to the door and opened it. "Li-san!" she called from the doorway. "Can you come in here a minute?"

Syaoran stood from his position on the couch and walked into Sakura's bedroom. "What is it?" he asked as he entered.

"How good are you at working with small objects?"

"Fairly."

"All right, then, you try." Syaoran looked at her with confusion. "Neither of us can figure out the clasp on this necklace."

"Oh." Syaoran walked over and examined the clasp for a moment. Then he deftly placed the necklace around Sakura's neck. He brought his face close to the clasp, getting down on his knees so as to be level with it as Sakura sat in a chair. Then, with a smooth movement, he caught the handle and clasped the necklace. Every brush of his fingers against her skin made Sakura's pulse jump, just like it had when he'd kissed her.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, his soft lips grazed the nape of her neck in a simple, yet extremely sensual, kiss. His fingers traced the path of the chain along her neck, ending just below the hollow of her throat.

Sakura was floored as she felt her face grow warm and her breathing stagger. Had Tomoyo just seen what he had done to her? No, she had been too busy touching up her own makeup for the party. She roughly pushed herself out of the chair and away from Syaoran's touch, feeling that she was too close for her own good. "Thanks," she muttered softly.

Syaoran gave her a lazy half-grin that brought the blood back to her face. "No problem. I'm glad I know how it works now, just in case you need help getting it off tonight." With that, he leaned in and kissed her quickly on the cheek before walking back out into the living room.

Sakura sat down heavily in the vanity chair, eyes wide with disbelief. Had he really just implied…? She looked over at Tomoyo, whose own violet eyes were dancing with mirth and what looked like triumph. "Do you believe me now?" she asked.

Sakura just shook her head. "No, he was probably just playing around. I'm gonna go brush my teeth; then you're going to have to put on my lipstick for me. I can never get it to look right."

"Okay, that's fine." As Sakura walked out of the room, Tomoyo smiled. "It's time to play matchmaker…"

---

At 6:30 on the dot, the trio walked out to Syaoran's car and drove the short distance to Eriol's home. The three-story house was opulent, to say the least; Eriol came from a wealthy family, so he had his parents' money as well as a successful clothing business to pay for such a house. The large circle driveway was packed with cars, as the party had already started when they arrived. Tomoyo stepped out and walked toward the door easily, but Sakura held back, not wanting to face Eriol so soon after the incident earlier in the day.

Syaoran noticed Sakura's hesitation and smoothly took her arm in his, leading her toward the front door before she had a chance to escape. "You're going to have to face him sooner or later; would you rather do it now, where you have a chance to avoid him afterwards, or at work, where there's no escaping until the day is over?" he asked her.

Sakura looked up at him. "How did you know?"

"Tomoyo told me everything when she called me earlier."

"Oh." Sakura blushed at the fact that Syaoran knew all about her humiliation. However, her embarrassment quickly turned into surprise when Syaoran gently placed a hand on her face, drawing her gaze toward his.

"Listen, Sakura…you're beautiful; don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise." He leaned down and gave her a soft, slow kiss. Unlike the other kisses he had given her before, this was chaste and held more than lust or frustration in it. She felt a strange warmth seep through her body, relaxing and strengthening her like a spell. When he drew away from her, Sakura slowly opened her eyes, revealing two emerald orbs that looked happier and calmer than they had all night. "Feel better?"

Sakura nodded. "What did you do?"

"Nothing…except maybe cast a small courage spell on you. I hope you don't mind."

Sakura frowned slightly. "I should be upset with you for using magic on me without permission, but I feel so good right now that I'm going to overlook it." She took a deep breath. "All right, let's get this over with."

"As the lady wishes," Syaoran said with a smile, leading Sakura up to the front door and into the cacophony.

A/N: Okay, I know I didn't get to the party, but I realized that there was just so much I wanted to do with it that I had to give it its own chapter, so that'll be next. There will be more E/T in that chapter as well, along with plenty of S/S! Also, if I take more than two weeks to put out the next chapter, poke me mercilessly until I get off my lazy college butt and finish it. You can do that online; my YIM username is phantomjunkie2006 and my Yahoo e-mail is the same.


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